Back-to-school shopping costs climb as families look for ways to save

As students prepare to head back to the classroom, families are finding that back-to-school shopping is costing more this year.

Dr. Kerri Camp, a marketing professor at UT Tyler, said parents should expect to spend significantly more on school supplies than they did last year.

"They're about 8% higher than last year," Camp said. "Parents can even be expecting to pay anywhere from $140 to $175 a student."

Camp said several factors are driving up prices, including inflation, tariffs and higher shipping costs.  Some of the biggest price increases are showing up in everyday school essentials. 

Camp said lunchboxes have seen one of the sharpest jumps, with prices up about 27% from last year.

"Those basic common school supplies are anywhere from 20 to 23% higher than they were last year," Camp said.

Despite the higher costs, Camp said families can still find ways to stretch their budgets.

One of her biggest recommendations is to consider private-label or store-brand products instead of name brands.

"That can save families 26 to 40% overall," Camp said. "Families need to spend a little more time planning the purchases this year. Look at those sales online, look at sales within the stores, and just see who has the best deal."

Texas' annual tax-free weekend also offers families another opportunity to save on qualifying back-to-school purchases, including clothing, backpacks and school supplies.

For families who may still struggle with the costs, Camp said many East Texas organizations offer assistance.

"There are many nonprofit organizations and churches that offer free backpacks that have school supplies," she said. "These are ways that you can save a little bit of money and have some local organizations help you out with this initial cost of school supplies."

Texas' tax-free weekend runs August 7-9. A full list of qualifying items can be found here .